Kara Winkler

Ph.D. in Communication, University of Connecticut, Expected August 2019
M.A. in Communication Studies, California State University, Sacramento, 2011
B.A. in Communication Studies, California State University, Sacramento, 2009

• COMM 2309: Interpersonal Communication
• COMM 3310: Women, Men, and Communication
• COMM 3313: Race, Ethnicity, and Communication

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Kara Winkler is a lecturer in communication studies and specializes in interpersonal communication. She is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Interpersonal Communication with a specialization in advanced research methods. Her research focuses on sexual communication, specifically on the cognitive, emotional, and communicative processes and outcomes of sharing sexual health-related information in close relationships. She is currently working on several projects related to communication and sexuality, including a test of the theory of motivated information management, an investigation of testosterone's role in benevolent sexism and rape myth acceptance, and a meta-analysis of sexual self-disclosures and sexual satisfaction. In earlier projects, she examined the effects of a sex-positive metaphor on sexual health behaviors and the effects of pillow talk on physiological stress responses to couples' difficult conversations. Kara has presented over 20 papers at national and international conferences and has published in the Journal of Family Theory and Review.

Kara has professional experience in marketing, brand management, public speaking, event planning, corporate communications, and human resources in nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

Selected Research Publications

Denes, A., Crowley, J. P., Winkler, K. L., Ponivas, A., Dhillon, A., & Bennett, M. (revise & resubmit). Exploring the effect of pillow talk on physiological stress responses to couples' difficult conversations. Communication Research.

Denes, A., Bennett, M., & Winkler, K. L. (2017). Exploring the benefits of affectionate communication: Implications for interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 9, 491-506. doi: 10.1111/jftr.12218 

Denes, A., Speer, A. C., Dhillon, A., & Winkler, K. L. (2016). Future directions in post sex communication research: Exploring long-term relationships, aging, and physiology. In J. F. Nussbaum (Ed.), Communication across the lifespan: ICA theme book (pp. 63-78). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Selected Conference Presentations

Winkler, K. L., Denes, A., Crowley, J. P., Bennett, M., Dhillon, A., & Ponivas, A. (2019, May). Exploring links between benevolent sexism, rape myth acceptance, and testosterone. Communication and Biology Division. International Communication Association 69^th Annual Conference. Washington, D.C.

Winkler, K. L. (2018, November). A meta-analysis of sexual self-disclosure and sexual satisfaction. Interpersonal Communication Division. National Communication Association 104^th Annual Convention. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Winkler, K. L. (2018, November). A review of the current state of sexual communication research. Interpersonal Communication Division. National Communication Association 104^th Annual Convention. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Winkler, K. L. (2018, November). Effects of metaphor on attitudes toward sexuality. Scholar to Scholar. National Communication Association 104^th Annual Convention. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Winkler, K. L. (2018, November). Interpersonal communication theory for positive sexuality: A case for communication privacy management theory from a multiple goals perspective. Interpersonal Communication Division. National Communication Association 104^th Annual Convention. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Winkler, K. L. (2018, November). Managing sexual relationships during college: Effects of sexual communication self-efficacy and quality on relational and sexual satisfaction. Interpersonal Communication Division. National Communication Association 104^th Annual Convention. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Denes, A., Crowley, J. P., Winkler, K. L., Ponivas, A., Dhillon, A., & Bennett, M. (2018, May). Exploring the effect of pillow talk on physiological stress responses to couples' difficult conversations. International Communication Association 68^th Annual Conference. Prague, Czech Republic.